D-Day veteran falls victim to Nazi bullet

D-Day veteran Percival (Dai) Tilley died in an accident partly caused by a leg injury he sustained on the Normandy beaches 65 years ago.

Welsh Guardsman Mr Tilley, 91, was hit in the leg by a German bullet on 6 June 1944 and suffered weakness in that leg all his life.

He was on his way to a reunion with his old army comrades, wearing his Welsh Guards blazer and tie, when the leg gave way at the top of a staircase. He fell 20ft to the bottom and suffered from fatal head injuries.

Mr Tilley's leg wound from 1944 was cited as a 'contributory factor' in the accident by the inquest in Cardiff.

Coroner Mary Hassell said: 'He had a compromise to one of his legs and this gave him a problem going down the stairs.

'He was clearly enjoying himself and looking forward to seeing his friends when he just fell down the stairs and hit his head.

'His injuries were absolutely unsurvivable but fortunately this all happened very quickly. I very much doubt Mr Tilley knew any of what was going on.'